The two groups requested files from the FDA over a year ago regarding the "physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of Ractopamine" on animals in the meat industry. The FDA has yet to respond.

Ractopamine is fed to pigs and cattle in order to promote lean weight gain. The National Pork Producers Council estimates the chemical saves $5 in production costs per pig, adding about three kilograms of lean pork to each animal. In cattle, the drug contributes 5kg to total weight gain. 80% of US pigs are fed the additive annually.

While the full effects of Ractopamine on humans has yet to be fully explored, studies have shown that human test subjects who consume food animals raised on Ractopamine could experience side effects such as tachycardia, heart rate increases, tremor, headache, muscle spasm, and high arterial blood pressure.

Due to these side effects, Russia, China, and the European Union have banned Ractopamine.

It remains legal in Canada, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan.

Feed animals themselves have been compromised by the drug and have been known to suffer from toxicity, behavioral changes, and cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and endocrine problems as well as high stress levels, hyperactivity, broken limbs, hoof lesions, and death after consuming the feed additive.